


Presents

by ughdotcom



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Don't copy to another site, Fluff, Literal Sleeping Together, M/M, Presents, The Most Mild Angst You've Ever Seen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:20:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28155252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ughdotcom/pseuds/ughdotcom
Summary: Garak wasn't on the station today, and Julian's getting worried.
Relationships: Julian Bashir/Elim Garak
Comments: 8
Kudos: 50





	Presents

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Bored_Trekkie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bored_Trekkie/gifts).



Julian didn’t need to sleep with Kukalaka in his arms anymore, but still, sometimes when he couldn’t sleep, he would take the bear down and hold him tight, hoping it would bring him some solace.

The nice thing about Garak was he never insulted Julian for needing to do this. Julian had had exes, men, women, and everything in between, who had made fun of him, all in jest they would insist, but Julian had learned to take it as a red flag.

Garak never did. As much as the Cardassian taunted Julian, or argued with him, he never made Julian feel lesser for having his stuffed bear still. He mentioned it, sometimes, but he never used it hurtfully.

Julian knew he was neurodivergent. The augment hadn’t been able to erase that, not completely, so Julian still had the traits littered inside of him. Once or twice he had wondered if that was why he was so attached to Kukalaka, but when he brought it up to Jadzia she had just said:

“Even if it is, it doesn’t mean the attachment is artificial, Julian.” and then dared him to drink Quark’s mystery special for ten credits. It tasted like cough medicine.

Garak wasn’t at the station that day. He had asked Sisko, who had confirmed that Garak had taken a short trip down to Bajor, for whatever reason. Julian knew he didn’t have to worry about Garak, but he knew how Bajorans felt about the Cardassians, with good reason. He didn’t want Garak to be hurt, and he didn’t even know what the man was doing down there. He could get anything he needed up here, on the station, and if he needed something from Bajor he could always order it, or ask Julian to get it.

And maybe that was the issue. Julian was upset that Garak went down himself instead of asking Julian to help. He had tried before to stop thinking about himself only in terms of usefulness, but it still didn’t always work. Garak could have just asked Julian, instead of putting himself at risk.

Of course, Garak didn’t work that way, so Julian stayed curled up in his bed, holding Kukalaka tightly like a lifeline. Softly he drifted into restless sleep.

Julian awoke to Garak standing above his bed, staring at him.

“Why do you do that?” he asked, sliding over so that Garak could lay down next to him.

Garak shrugged, and didn’t answer, sitting down in the empty spot. “I brought you something.” he said.

“Really?” Julian asked, pushing himself into a sitting position and laying back against the pillows.

“Yes, my dear doctor.” Garak pulled out a small box and handed it to Julian, flipping the lights on as he did so. Julian flipped open the lid and gasped.

The box had a necklace inside, a fine silver chain with a blue gemstone pendant carved in the shape of a caduceus. Julian ran his fingers over the present in wonder.

“It’s beautiful… why? How?”

Garak flushed as best he could. “I noticed you saying that you liked that one woman’s necklace, so I asked Dax to figure out where it came from, and I went there and found this for you.”

“All the way down on Bajor.”

“Yes, all the way down on Bajor. It was not a fun experience, I’ll tell you that.”

“You didn’t have to! You could have got someone to do it for you, or ordered it, or just told me where it was…” Julian rambled, but Garak cupped his face and cut him off.

“Julian. My dear. You deserve nice things, and you deserve people who will get them for you.”

Julian threw his arms around Garak’s neck and kissed him softly.

“I suppose I deserve you then.” he murmured against Garak’s lips.

“I didn’t mean to insinuate it, but I suppose, yes, you do.”

Julian laughed and kissed Garak again and again, before letting Garak lie down next to him, setting Kukalaka on the nightstand. “Stay here, with me.” Julian said, intertwining their fingers as they lay facing each other. “Just for tonight.”

“Of course. But what if I want to stay the next night too?”

“I would love that.”

“And the next night after that?” Garak moved his face in closer to Julian’s.

“You’d still be welcome.”

“And forever?” Garak moved so that their faces were almost touching.

“Of course, darling, forever.” Julian said, kissing him deeply.

They curled into each other, hands and arms and legs intertwining as they cuddled up next to each other. Their breathing slowed as the minutes ticked by, each lulling into calm, peaceful sleep in the other’s arms.

Then Julian sat up frantically.

“Did you just propose to me?!”

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first non Dr Who fic I've written since November


End file.
